Gandhinagar: Despite Gujarat’s economic progress, child malnutrition remains a persistent challenge. To tackle this issue, the state government has announced a Nutrition Mission under the newly launched Viksit Gujarat Fund, with a ₹75 crore allocation for the 2025-26 financial year, top officials confirmed.

On Tuesday, a committee of secretaries (COS) led by Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi discussed the mission’s implementation and departmental responsibilities. A similar initiative proposed in 2011-12 failed to yield results, but this time, the government aims for effective execution. Officials noted that while the women and child development department previously handled child malnutrition, its efforts were inadequate. Consequently, the health and family welfare department is now expected to take charge.

Key challenges include improving infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rate (MMR) by enhancing obstetric and newborn care, addressing shortages of medical specialists, and strengthening intensive care services at sub-district levels.

Data from the Union government, presented in Parliament, indicates progress in reducing malnutrition. The percentage of stunted children (0-5 years) in Gujarat dropped from 53.6% in Oct 2022 to 40.8% in Oct 2024. The proportion of wasted children initially rose from 8.1% in 2022 to 8.9% in 2023 but later declined to 7.8% in 2024. Similarly, the percentage of underweight children decreased from 23.1% in 2022 to 20.7% in 2023, remaining stable in 2024.

Experts emphasize the need for nutrition awareness in Gujarat, given its high per capita income. They stress the importance of balanced diets, nutrient quality, and initiatives like midday meals in rural areas. Additionally, awareness among expectant mothers is crucial for ensuring healthy birth weights in newborns.